Method for wrapping an object with adhesive tape



b- 1959 B. E. BOGESKOV 2,873,564

METHOD FOR WRAPPING AN OBJECT WITH ADHESIVE TAPE Filed Sept. 9. 1957 IHI INVENTOR.

' m'me/vfm United States METHOD FOR WRAPPING AN OBJECT WIT H ADHESIVE. TAPE My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for causing a strip of adhesive tape to be wrapped around articles of varying shapes and for varying purposes such as the application thereto of labels, reinforcing bands and the like.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a novel mechanism and method whereby strips of adhesive tape may be wrapped about articles of varying size quickly, efficiently and completely by power operated mechanism.

A further object of my invention is a method of the class described, the steps of which comprise cutting a strip of adhesive tape of a length greater than the peripheral dimensions of an article to be encompassed therewith, causing initial engagement of said article with the adhesive surface of said strip of tape intermediate the, ends thereof and in a manner to create relatively short and relatively long tongues which project angularly outwardly from the adjacent peripheral surface of the article in generally opposite directions, forcing said articles between and through cooperating jaw elements which are biased in a direction toward engagement with each other while said article is held against rotation with said point of initial engagement positioned as the leading edge thereof, whereby through wiping action of said jaw elements with respect to said tongues to cause said tape to encompass said article for more than 180 of circulararc with said short tongue totally in adhesive engagement with the peripheral or outer surface of said aricle and with the trailing free end of said long tongue in adhesive engagement with one of said jaw elements, and, finally while still restraining said article against rota.- tion forcing said article backwardly through said jaws whereby to cause disengagement of the free endof said relatively long tongue from said jaw element and wrapping engagement thereof with said article throughout its entire length.

A still further object of my invention is a method as immediately above described in which the free end of said relatively long tongue is caused to have overlapping engagement with a portion of said relatively short tongue, duringfinal backward movement of said article through said jaws.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel mechanism for performing the immediately above described method, said mechanism comprising a pair of jaw elements for the reception of articles passed therebetween, said jaw elements comprising relatively flat intermediate portions and cooperating diverging lips which define outer and inner mouths at opposite ends of said jaw elements, and means biasing said jaw elements toward substantially parallel engagement of said flat intermediate portions.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class immediately above described in which said lips are integrally formed with said intermediate portions of said jaw elements, and in which said atefit o 2. means comprises integrally formed converging resilient extensions of said lips defining said inner mouth.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a mechanism of the class immediately above described in further combination with means securing the converging ends of said extensions together, the said e'xtensions and lips defining said inner mouth forming a temporary recess for the receptionof articles during reciprocal travel thereof through said jaw elements.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which has a minimum of working parts, which, is extremely easy to operate, and which is rugged, durable and highly efiicient in its opera; tion.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indi cate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of my novel mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1 in a schematic arrangement with other elements for the practice of my novel method;

Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are, views corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing various positions of some of the parts in the practice of my novel method; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of an article having thereon a band of adhesive tape applied thereto by my novel method.

Referring with greater particularity to' the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate respectively upper and lower jaw elements, preferably formed from flexible resilient metal stock and formed to provide relatively flat intermediate portions 3 and 4, respectively; At their free outer ends, the jaw elements 1 and 2 are provided with diverging lips 5 and 6 respectively which cooperate to provide an outer mouth A for reception of articles to be received therein and passed through the jaw elements 1 and 2, as will hereinafter be explained in greater detail.- Immediately inwardly of the flattened intermediate portions 3 and 4, the jaw elements 1 and. 2 respectively are provided with integral] inwardly diverginglips 7 and 8 respectively which define the inner mouth. B of-the jaw elements 1 and 2. I I

Preferably and as shown formed integrally withthe lips 7, 8' of the inner mouth B, are converging: resilient extension members 9 and 10 respectively which. are secured together at their inner ends. by screws. or the like 11.. It will be noted that the inner lips 7 and S'cooperate with their respective extension members 9' an 10 to define a recess 12 for the temporary reception of articles X during reciprocal travel through the jaw elements 1, 2, the importance of which will hereinafter become apparent. Quite obviouslythe resilient nature of the extension members 9 and 10 biases the flat intermediate portions 3, 4 of the jaw elements 1, 2 toward substantially parallel engagement with each other.

When it is desired to apply a label bearing band of adhesive tape or the like about an article X, a strip of such tape 13, preferably of the pressure sensitive type, is unrolled from a roll 14. Obviously, the linear dimension of the strip13 is substantially equal tothe peripheral dimensions of the article X about which the strip 13 is to be wrapped. The word peripheral is here used in a broad sense to include the distance around the article X irrespective of its shape. Obviously, where it is desired to cause the opposite ends of the strip 13 to overlap, then and in that event the strip 13 would be of somewhat greater linear dimension than the peripheral dimensions of the article X and so forth. In the schematic arrangement of Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, I show a suitable knife 15 for cutting strips 13 of tape at desired lengths.

In accordance with my novel method, the article X is brought into initial engagement with the adhesive surface 16 of,the strip 13 with the wrapping axis of the article X atright angles to .the longitudinal axis of the strip 13. Note that this point of initial engagement, identified by the numeral 17, divides the strip 13 into relatively short and relatively long tongues 18 and 19 respectively. I

The next step in my novel method is the forcing of the article X, with the strip 13 attached thereto, between and through the cooperating resilient jaw elements 1, 2 while the article-X is held against rotation and with the point of initial engagement 17 between the strip 13 and the article X positioned as the leading edge thereof, see particularly Fig. 2. The diverging lips 5, 6 forming the outer mouth A cause the jaw elements 1 and 2 to open for the slideable reception of the article X as shown in Fig. 3, the uninterrupted wiping action of the lips 5 and 6 and the. relatively flat intermediate portions 3 and 4 causing continuous adhesive engagement between the strip 13 and the article X for at least 180 of circular arc.

' By reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the wiping action of the diverging inner lips 7, 8 which form the mouth B, as the article X passes from between the intermediate relatively flat portions 3, 4 into the recess 12, cause additional engagement between the strip 13 and the peripheral surface of the article X. It is here extr'emely important to note that the trailing free end of the relatively long tongue 19 is clamped between the parallel intermediate portions 3, 4 and that the adhesive surface 16 thereof has been forced into adhesive engagement with the jaw element 1, as indicated at 20.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the final step in my novel method whereby the trailing free end 19 of the strip 13 is caused to complete its article encirclement. As there shown, the

article X, by cam action with respect to the inwardly diverging lips 7, 8, causes reopening of the jaw elements 1, 2 whereby to permit return passage of the article X through the fiat intermediate portions 3, 4. Note particularly with respect to Fig. 5 that, during the initial movement of the article X backwardly through the flat'intermediate portions 3, 4 of the jaw elements 1, 2, the outer end of the relatively long tongue 19 of the strip 13 is progressively pulled away from engagement with the jaw element 1 and at the same rate caused to be progressively impinged upon the previously uncovered peripheral portion of the article X until the entire length of the strip 13 has been caused to come into adhesive engagement with the peripheral surface of the article X. As shown in Fig. 6, because the strip 13 has greater linear dimension than the peripheral measurement of the article X, the extreme outer end of the relatively long tongue 19 is caused to overlap the extreme outer end of the relatively short tongue 18, as indicated at 21.

My novel method and apparatus have been thoroughly tested and found to'be completely satisfactory for the accomplisment of the above objects and while I have shown and described the method and apparatus in its simplest form, I wish it to be specifically understood that each thereof is capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of causing a strip of adhesive tape to substantially encompass an article, said method comprising, first causing the initial engagement of said article with the adhesive surface of said strip of tape intermediate the ends thereof and in-a manner to create relatively short and relatively long tongues which project angularly outwardly from the adjacent surface portion of the article in generally opposite directions, causing said article to pass between and through cooperating jaw elements which are biased in a direction toward engagement with each other, whereby through wiping action to cause said tape to partially encompass said article with said short tongue totally in adhesive engagement with said article and with the free end of said long tongue in adhesive engagement with one of said jaw elements, and While restraining said article against rotation causing said article to pass backwardly through said jaw elements whereby to cause disengagement of the free end of said relatively long tongue from said jaw element and wrapping engagement thereof with said article throughout its entire length.

2. The method of causing a strip of adhesive tape to completely encompass an article, said method comprising the steps of cutting a strip of adhesive tape of a length greater than the peripheral dimensions of said article, causing initial engagement of said article with the adhesive surface of said strip of tape intermediate the ends thereof and in a manner to create relatively short and relatively long tongues which project angularly outwardly from the adjacent peripheral surface of the article in generally opposite directions, causing said article to pass between and through cooperating jaw elements which are biased in a direction toward engagement with each other while said article is held against rotation and with said point of initial engagement positioned as the leading edge thereof, whereby through wiping action of said jaw elements with respect to said tongues to cause said tape to encompass said article for more than 180 of circular arc with said short tongue totally in adhesive engagement with said article and with the-trailing free end of said long tongue in adhesive engagement with one of said jaw elements, and finally while still restraining said article against rotation causing said article to pass backwardly through said jaws whereby to cause disengagement of the free end of said relatively long tongue from said jaw element and overlapping engagement thereof with a portion of said relatively short tongue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,762,179 Young Sept. 11, 1956 

